Published 8 November 2026 · 7 min read
Employers, equivalency committees and visa processes in the UAE often ask for an attested degree. Attestation confirms that the signatures and seals on your certificate are genuine. It does not re-assess your studies; it proves the document is authentic.
Why the order of steps matters
Attestation is a chain. Each authority confirms the signature of the one before it, so a step done out of order usually means starting again. Planning the route before you begin saves the most time.
Degrees issued outside the UAE
- The issuing university or education authority confirms the certificate, where the home country requires it.
- The home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates that confirmation.
- The UAE embassy or consulate in that country legalises the document. Many UAE missions take requests online first.
- The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs completes the attestation inside the UAE.
Degrees issued inside the UAE
For documents issued in the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers an online route through its website or app using UAE PASS. Supported digital originals can go through digital attestation; other documents go through the courier route.
What about the Apostille?
As of the June 2026 status table of the Hague Conference, neither the UAE nor Egypt is a party to the Apostille Convention. An Apostille alone is therefore not enough for UAE use: the full legalisation chain above still applies.
The Egyptian route
For an Egyptian degree used in the UAE, the usual chain is: the university or the relevant education authority, then authentication by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the UAE Embassy in Cairo, and finally the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Champollion works on both sides of this route through its Dubai and Egypt teams.
When you also need a legal translation
For the courier route, MOFA asks for the original in Arabic or English, or accompanied by a legally certified translation. A degree issued in French, German or any other language therefore needs a legal translation as part of the process.
Common mistakes that cause delays
- Laminated certificates. MOFA does not accept laminated originals.
- Submitting copies where the authority asks for originals.
- Skipping the home-country Ministry of Foreign Affairs step.
- Names spelled differently on the passport, the degree and the translation.
